Moritzburg Castle, a beautiful Baroque palace in Moritzburg, Saxony, Germany
Photo credit: @mracadotnet
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One of the most impressive baroque palaces in central Europe, Moritzburg Castle (Schloss Moritzburg) is situated on an island in the middle of a lake in Moritzburg, in the German state of Saxony.
The certainly most beautiful Saxon moated castle is named after Duke Moritz, who, in 1542, built a hunting lodge near his residence in Dresden. It has four imposing corner towers of ochre and white, the colours of the Saxon Baroque, and lies on a symmetrical artificial island. The surrounding woodlands and lakes have been a favourite hunting area of the electors and kings of Saxony.
In 1723 Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, commissioned Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, architect of the Zwinger Palace in Dresden, with the conversion of the building to provide an appropriate and magnificent setting for his glittering parties.
With Baroque statues added on the balustrades of the carriage ramp and terrace, the stunning palace has seven halls and 200 rooms decorated by the best Saxon artists and craftsmen. Its chapel, designed in the 17th century, is one of the most impressive examples of the early Baroque style in Saxony.
The decoration and furnishings of the interior, including hunting trophies and paintings, are preserved unaltered.